GOP Proposes Third Option In Iraq

As the 2008 election draws nearer and the Iraq war rages on without improvement or possibility of victory, more and more Republicans are deserting Bush's position on the war. They can see that the president's position is not supported by the American people, and they have visions of voters taking it out on the Republican party on election day.

Their problem is that they have opposed withdrawing our troops so long and so loudly, that to now support a withdrawal would be an admission that they have been wrong all this time (which they have). But it's not in the nature of right-wing Republicans to admit they are wrong, so what are they to do? They cannot continue to support Bush and they cannot agree with Democrats that we must withdraw our troops.

Because of this dilemma, some Republicans are trying to propose a third option. This option would leave our troops in Iraq until the president decides to pull them out, but it would severely restrict their mission there. They would cut out all the street patrols that attempt to keep the peace between the Sunnis and Shiites and subdue the general violence level.

Instead, they would let the civil war rage, while our troops are reduced to hunting for al-Queda and training Iraqi troops. Those who propose this claim it would reduce the deaths of American soldiers (and therefore Republican political liability).

This is a ridiculous idea. It amounts to giving up on the war, but leaving our troops in the middle of it anyway. If you're going to leave our troops in the middle of a civil war with targets painted on their backs, then it's sheer suicide to restrict their options. This idea is guaranteed to increase the violence, and as the violence increases, so does the danger to our troops.

Bush's position is untenable, but at least he doesn't restrict our soldiers from trying to defend themselves. This new Republican option is just ridiculous, and would probably result in more American deaths -- not less.

There are really only two options -- put hundreds of thousands more troops into Iraq in the hope of finally stemming the violence (which is not politically viable), or withdraw our troops and let the Iraqis determine their own future.

The only real option is to withdraw our troops -- all of them -- NOW!